Kees van Dongen

Private Collection (and sold: Sotheby's, New York, May 4, 2006, lot 423)
Acquired at the above sale

The canvas is not lined and this work is in overall very good condition. UV examination reveals a small spot of retouching to the upper right corner. There are some fine lines of craquelure and minor paint shrinkage in places, the most prominent of which is a very thin horizontal line of craquelure across her nose. There is a small area of tiny paint losses below her chin and a small loss to the top of the feather.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In 1918, van Dongen began a long-term relationship with Jasmy Alvin, known as Jasmy La Dogaresse, an ambitious woman who helped to launch his career in a new direction with her connections to the Parisian fashion scene. In their new residence, van Dongen held exhibitions on the ground floor and Jasmy hosted extravagant parties attended by influential members of high society. This period of van Dongen's career became known as the folle époque and secured his popularity. According to Denys Sutton, "During the 1920s, van Dongen became one of the most talked of figures in the French art world and it is only necessary to run through the volume of press cuttings belonging to [his daughter] to be aware of the fact that his name was news. He was a frequent visitor to Deauville, where the smart world gathered, and to the cabarets and restaurants of Paris. What appealed to him about the années folles were their movement and gaiety. He once said: 'I passionately love the life of my time so animated, so feverish! Ah! Life is even more beautiful than painting'" (Cornelius Theodorus Marie van Dongen 1877-1968 (exhibition catalogue), Nelson Gallery - Atkins Museum, The University of Arizona Museum of Art, Tucson, 1971, p. 46).

The present work is a striking example of the stylized features which characterize many of van Dongen's paintings from the 1920s. Van Dongen has chosen to depict his model with sultry eyes, fiery red lips and a radiant glow, characteristic of many of his femmes fatales. Bejeweled in a necklace that playfully showcases his signature, the present work is an idealized portrait of a high society lady set against a warm background defined only by a few falling leaves and a halo of dark pink vines. At the time he painted this work, he was still working with a Fauvist vocabulary of vibrant colors, but his art was now taking a more sophisticated turn, primarily in response to the tastes of his clientele. According to Donald Kuspit, “Fauvism is eager for art to have the vital power of the female. It is this that the Fauvist images of females pursue, and that van Dongen articulates with a special vehemence. For me, his most important pictures are those of women… The female theme continues throughout his life” (Donald Kuspit, “Kees van Dongen: Unequivocal Colour and Equivocal Sexuality,” in Kees van Dongen (exhibition catalogue), Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam, 1989-90, pp. 37-39).